Chapter 500 Appointment of Commander

Meeting room at Century Hotel Antwerp Centrum.

Amidst warm applause, the Saint-Etienne Arsenal and the FN Arsenal officially signed a package of cooperation agreements.

Representatives of both sides, Dominic and Boyata, shook hands tightly, smiled at the flash lights and stopped for a while to give reporters enough time to take pictures.

Albert I clapped his hands and looked at Charles who was sitting next to him with satisfaction. The more interests he had in Belgium, the more reassured Albert I felt. Therefore, he spared no effort to promote cooperation between the two sides and even allocated state funds to subsidize FN.

Browning seemed to be unable to wait any longer. He clapped his hands and asked Charles, "So, what's the answer?"

Charles smiled and replied calmly: "It's simple, Mr. Browning, think about your shotgun, I mean 'Browning A5'."

Browning was stunned, then he reacted with his mouth half open: It's semi-automatic, like the "Browning A5", why didn't I think of it!

The answer is indeed semi-automatic.

A fully automatic rifle based on full-power bullets should be a machine gun. If you insist on using a machine gun as a single-soldier rifle, its shortcomings are unavoidable.

There is also a serious problem with doing this. When you hold the gun in your hand and shoot continuously, the bullets will fly around with almost no accuracy due to the strong recoil and violent jumping, which is almost like "blind shooting".

Semi-automatic is different.

It is not much heavier than a bolt-action rifle, and its ammunition base is also more than 100 rounds. And because the bullets are fired intermittently, it has high accuracy.

The most important thing is: every soldier can use a semi-automatic rifle, unlike the BAR which requires only soldiers with good physical fitness to operate.

Therefore, it is the semi-automatic rifle rather than the BAR that can completely replace the bolt-action rifle.

As for the assault rifles that will replace semi-automatic rifles in the future, they must be based on intermediate-power bullets.

When Boyata heard about this plan, he couldn't help but sigh: "The answer is just three words: 'semi-automatic', but we almost paid the price of a branch company for it."

"No, no," Browning replied. "It's not as simple as it seems, Jonathan. This is the direction of development. If we don't know this and go into full production of the BAR, or even try to use it to replace the bolt-action rifle, do you know what will happen?"

Boyata nodded to show that he understood.

This is the era where creativity is king. A successful design can bring a company on the verge of collapse back to life. Similarly, a wrong idea can cause a thriving company to go bankrupt.

Charles' advantage is that his ideas are always correct, whether in military or military industry.

…

When Charles returned to the headquarters, he received two pieces of good news.

The telegram was sent by Matthew. Since he learned engine technology from the aircraft manufacturing plant, Charles put him in charge of the research and development of the tractor factory, while Deyoka was responsible for commercial operations.

"After several months of hard work, our engine has finally reached 250 horsepower, and there is still room for further improvement. I think the development of the new tank can be put on the agenda."

Charles sighed in his heart. The "Holt 75" he used at the beginning only had 83 horsepower, and the more advanced "Holt 120" only had 120 horsepower. But now it has climbed to 250 horsepower, more than doubling.

"The 'echo sounder' developed by Professor Versenden has been successful. After secret testing, it can now accurately detect submarines at a distance of 500 meters."

Versenden?

"Echo Sounder"?

Charles almost forgot about this matter. When he saw the word "submarine", he suddenly remembered that it was sonar, the sonar for detecting submarines!

Without giving it much thought, Charles asked his staff officer to call Matthew back: "Tell Professor Versenden to continue his efforts to extend its detection range."

At this time, Tijani came forward with a telegram and a serious face.

"Bad news?" Charles asked.

Tijani did not answer. He first handed Charles a telegram: "Congratulations, you are now a major general. The new uniform issued to you is on the way and is expected to arrive tonight."

This could be considered a good thing, although Ciel didn't care.

Charles's eyes turned to the other telegram in Tijani's hand, which must be bad news.

Tijani nodded slightly, shook the telegram and placed it in front of Charles: "The appointment and transfer of commanders can be said to be the sequelae of you kicking Xiafei out."

Charles glanced at the telegram:

"Nivelle was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed commander-in-chief of the French and Allied forces."

This was no secret, many people knew it, and knew that Nivelle relied on his connections with the British.

"Galieni is Minister of the Army and Commander of the Reserve Army Group."

This is also well known.

"The 9th Army of the Northern Army Group is transferred to Verdun for combat, and Lieutenant General Avis will lead the 1st Army of the British Expeditionary Force to take over the defense of Antwerp!"

…

Charles looked at Tijani in astonishment. "The First British Expeditionary Force? They moved the 9th Army away and replaced it with the British Expeditionary Force?"

"Yes!" Tijani nodded helplessly.

Charles' troops are on the Antwerp defense line, but they are air force, armored troops and mechanized troops, and the infantry stationed here need to cooperate with Charles.

Now, they transferred the French 9th Army and brought in the British Expeditionary Force.

"I don't know what they are thinking." Tijani frowned and said, "Let us cooperate with the British Expeditionary Force? The soldiers can't even speak the same language, and their equipment and ammunition are different, not to mention the differences in tactics!"

Then he continued to complain:

"I'll be busy later."

"After they come up, the first thing we have to teach them is how to understand the flag signals."

"And the way it links up with the aircraft, the coordination with the armored forces."

…

Charles was silent for a while, then interrupted Tijani and said, "That's all you're worried about?"

"Then what else?" Tijani asked.

Charles smiled softly: "Think about it, General. What do the British want most by using supplies to replace their mouthpiece Nivelle with the commander-in-chief?"

Tijani was stunned for a moment, then half opened his mouth and widened his eyes: "Military merit? Are you saying that the British are here to steal military merit?"

Ciel nodded slightly: "So, what you said doesn't exist. The commander is not me, but this..."

Charles glanced at the telegram:

"Lieutenant General Ives."

"He is a lieutenant general, and I am a major general. You are also a major general. Of course we have to obey his command."

Tijani was stunned: "Then, we will charge towards the enemy's fortress under his command and win the victory after suffering heavy casualties, but the credit will be his?"

"That's about it." Charles said, "Maybe there are other methods."

The British have always been invincible when it comes to shamelessness, and they can even be very "gentlemanly" and find plausible reasons!

(End of this chapter)